Matt Bachmann entered his senior year with some unfinished business. After coming up just shy of a state championship in both of the previous two years, anything short of a title would have been a disappointment.

But Bachmann held on down the stretch at University Ridge in Madison and the rest is history. Now, the Sheboygan Falls star can add another title to his trophy case. He's our All-Area Golfer of the Year, completing the clean sweep over his four-year career.

"It's a great honor, especially getting it all four years," Bachmann said. "In our county, we have a lot of really good golfers, due in part to the courses that we have and the courses that we have. It's awesome to be recognized four years in a row and it's pretty cool."

If Golfer of the Year honors is the cherry on top though, his state championship is the entire sundae, and Bachmann said it was a huge relief to be able to go out on top.

"It's nice and it was definitely a good way to go out," he said. "It kind of closed the chapter nicely. I was able to move on without having to look back and wonder. I was close the two years previous to that, so I think my mindset would be a lot different had I not won this year. I probably would be looking back a lot more. Instead, I'm just reminiscing and remembering the good times we had together."

While his performance at University Ridge is the one he'll remember most, he credited another tournament as the moment his game came around this year.

"Obviously state is one I'll look back on because I finished it out, but other than that, the North Invite at the Irish Course stands out," he said. "I only shot two-under, but I played really nicely that day, and that was kind of the point in the season when I started to pick it up a little bit. I started off slow, but that round really jump started the rest of the year."

Bachmann entered the year with a simple focus, and it wasn't about driving the ball farther or improving on the putting green.

"Overall, it was more of a consistency thing," he said. "In the spring, with the weather being as inconsistent as it was and unpredictable as it is, you have to make sure your swing is as reliable as it can be. You have to have a swing you can go to and a shot you can trust, so your misses are better."

In addition to consistency, Bachmann wanted to improve the way he approached the game. That meant spending more time analyzing courses and strategy instead of hitting balls.

"I wasn't working on anything technical," he said. "I was trying to play smarter and take a more mental approach to the game. I wanted to think my way around the courses and actually take my time, use a process."

In the fall, Bachmann will be off to Marquette University, where he'll play golf for the Golden Eagles. Until then, he's determined to enjoy some well-deserved down time

"I'm still playing quite a bit," he said. "I cut out a couple tournaments just to get a little bit of mental rest and take more time to practice. I'm still very busy obviously, but more than anything, I'm trying to get ready, not just as a player, but as a student too. I'm getting ready for my classes, saying goodbye to a couple people and enjoying it while I can."